God Cannot be Poisoned or Prisoned by People - Dr Zakir Naik
Dr. Zakir Naik recounts the story of Rajneesh (Osho), who moved to Oregon in 1981, accumulated over 90 gifted Rolls-Royces, was arrested by the American government, claimed to have been slow-poisoned in prison, and was eventually deported back to India in 1985. Naik uses this story to argue that a true God cannot be imprisoned or poisoned by people. The account is used as a critique of those who claim divinity while being subject to human vulnerability.
Summary
In this short clip, Dr. Zakir Naik discusses the life and claims of Rajneesh, also known as Osho, as part of what appears to be a broader argument about the nature of God and false claims of divinity.
Naik recounts that in 1981, Rajneesh traveled to America and established a community in the state of Oregon called Rajneeshpuram. During this period in the 1980s, Rajneesh became notable for possessing more than 90 Rolls-Royce vehicles — not purchased by himself, but gifted to him by devoted followers who knew of his fondness for cars. His collection was so extraordinary that the owner of Rolls-Royce reportedly came to meet him personally.
However, Naik notes that the American government eventually arrested Rajneesh, characterizing him as someone who was 'making a fool of the Americans.' While imprisoned, Rajneesh claimed that the American government subjected him to slow poisoning. Naik uses this claim to make his central theological point: the idea of an almighty God being slow-poisoned in prison is absurd and contradictory to the very definition of God.
Following his arrest, Rajneesh was deported from the United States in 1985 and returned to India, where he established the Osho Commune in Poona (Pune), Maharashtra. Naik's underlying argument throughout is that a being who can be imprisoned, deported, and poisoned by ordinary humans cannot legitimately claim to be God.
Key Insights
- Dr. Zakir Naik argues that Rajneesh's claim of being slow-poisoned in an American prison is inherently self-contradictory, since a true almighty God could not be poisoned or imprisoned by ordinary human beings.
- Naik highlights that Rajneesh owned more than 90 Rolls-Royce vehicles, none of which he purchased himself — all were gifted by devoted followers who knew of his preference for luxury cars.
- Naik states that Rajneesh's fame from his Rolls-Royce collection was so significant that the owner of Rolls-Royce personally sought him out to meet him.
- Naik characterizes the American government's arrest of Rajneesh as a response to him 'making a fool of the Americans,' framing his downfall as a consequence of his fraudulent spiritual claims.
- Naik recounts that after being expelled from the United States in 1985, Rajneesh returned to India and established the Osho Commune in Poona, Maharashtra, continuing his movement despite his discrediting in America.
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